Cigar lighter



Jan. 24, 1939. BAHR 2,145,205

CIGAR LIGHTER Original Filed Nov. 15, 1955 INVENTOR BY S i @Am Q Y Patented Jan. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIGAR LIGHTER Gustave F. Bahr, Fairfield, Conn., assignor to Casco Products Corporation, Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Claims.

This invention relates to electric cigar lighters, and more particularly to the heating elements or resistance coil units of such devices.

This application is a division of my copending 5 application S. N. 49,542, filed November 13, 1935.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved heating element unit for acigarlighter, which permits of quick and easyremoval and replacement. This is accomplished by providing the heating element unit with an improved attaching and positioning means.

In the embodiment of the invention shown herein this improved means for permitting quick and easy removal and replacement of the heating element unit comprises a split pin adapted to frictionally engage a cooperating socket structure of the supporting device, and a plate carried by the pin, and having wings or lugs adapted to enter recesses in the supporting device.

Further objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating an embodiment of the invention:

Figure 1 shows the present improved heating element as incorporated in a cigar lighter of the removable igniting unit type. In this figure, the holder and removable igniting unit of the lighter are shown in axial section.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the heating element per se, with a fragmentary portion thereof shown in section.

Fig. 3 is a face or left-end view of the element of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a rear or right end view of the element of Fig. 2.

The present invention is applied to a cigar lighter, as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which comprises an igniting unit HJ removably mounted on a holding device H. The latter has 40 a hollow metal sleeve l2, having spring tongues is normally biased outwardly to resiliently hold the igniting unit, and which tongues extend longitudinally of the sleeve I2, and are disposed so that those adjacent each other extend in opposite directions, all as in the patent to Joseph H. Cohen, No. 2,035,864, dated March 31, 1936, in which this feature is claimed. The sleeve I2 has an internal flange M at its rear end, which is tightly clamped to a metal escutcheon [5 adapted to engage an instrument board or other support. The flange l4 and the escutcheon l5 are clamped together by recessed washers H5 which in turn are clamped against a shoulder I! of a nipple E8, the end of said nipple being headed over on said washers for this purpose. A nut l9 and lock washer 20 are carried on the threaded portion of the nipple l8, and serve to securely draw the escutcheon [5 against the automobile instrument board or other supporting surface, and to securely support the holding device II thereby, 5 and also to make grounded electrical connection thereto. Passing through the nipple I8 is a pin which is insulated from the nipple by an insulating washer 22 and an insulating sleeve 23. An integral collar 24 on the pin 2! bears against the insulating washer 22 and prevents the pin from being drawn through the nipple. The other end of the pin passes through insulating washers 25 and a contact disk 26, and is headed over on the latter so as to hold this firmly against the end of the nipple I8 but insulated therefrom. The disk 26 has obliquely extending curved wings 25a which adapt it to engage and electrically connect with a heating element contact to be hereinafter described. The pin 2| extends back-- wardly beyond the integral collar 24, and is recessed to receive the bare end and part of the insulation of a conducting wire 21, which is preferably sweated in said pin with solder. A soft rubber sleeve 28 is slipped over the exposed parts of the pin 2| to preclude the possibility of a short-circuit occurring at this place.

The disk 26 forms, by virtue of its connection to the wire 21, an electrical contact for engagement with the igniting unit now to be described, and the sleeve l2, being grounded on the instrument board, serves as a contact for the return circuit.

The removable igniting unit Ill comprises a cylindrical body 29 having a stepped bore 30 and lit, with a shoulder 32. The bore 30 is of a size to slip closely over the sleeve l2 of the holding device, and therefore the tongues 13 of the sleeve l2, which are normally biased outwardly, engage with the bore 30 of the body and provide for yieldingly holding the igniting unit H] on the holding device ll.

According to the present invention there is provided, to be carried by the igniting unit, an improved heating element adapted to be attached to and carried by said unit so that it can be quickly and easily removed therefrom and replaced without the use of special tools and without a great degree of skill on the part of the operator. Also said heating element is adapted to engage and contact with the disk contact of the holding device.

As shown in Figs 2, 3, and 4, the embodiment of this improved heating element, designated by the numeral 33, includes a metal cup or carrier 34 and a central slitted attachment prong or stud 35 firmly connected with the cup and adapted to support same. The cup 34 is relatively shallow, having cylindrical walls 34a and a circular bottom 34b, and the walls being turned inwardly at the brim of the cup to provide an internal fiange 340. The cup 34 encloses and carries a spirally wound resistance wire or ribbon 36 the convolutions of which are spaced from the cup bottom, said coil having its outer end connected at 3'! to the wall 340. and having its inner end firmly gripped in a slotted head 38 of the 7 prong 35 (see Fig. 3). Preferably the heating coil 36 has its ends welded to the cup 34 and head 38 of the stud or prong respectively, as disclosed and claimed in the application of Joseph H. Cohen, Serial No. 36,683, filed August 17, 1935. The bottom 34!) of the cup is centrally apertured to permit the prong 35 to pass therethrough, said prong being insulated from the cup by an insulating washer 40 and a similar but smaller washer (not shown) disposed between the head 38 and the inside of the cup bottom.

Thus the prong 35 is securely connected with the cup 34 but insulated therefrom, and saidstud serves not only 'to securely support the cup in firm, properly aligned position, but also serves as an electrical connection to the inner end of the heating coil 36. As shown, the prong 35 is out or slitted for a portion of its length, providing resilient tines 35a which are biased outwardly slightly to secure firm engagement with the socketing means on the igniting unit. The cup 34 is also adapted to serve as an electrical contact for conducting current to the outer end of the heating coil, and in this respect the outer surface of the flange 34c serves to engage the wings26a of the disk contact of the holder.

For the purpose of engaging the prong 35 to support the heating element upon theigniting unit, and for connecting with the heating coil, the igniting unit is provided with a cylindrical metal sleeve 4| supported at the forward or front end of the body 29 on the shoulder 3| thereof, said sleeve having an annular flange 42 crimped therein to engage said shoulder, and the end of the sleeve being spun over to permanently secure said engagement. The rear of the sleve 4| has an end wall 43 apertured at its center and supporting a metal tube 44 by means of flanges of said tube engaging the opposite sides of the end. The tube 44 extends forwardly into the sleeve 4|, being concentrically located relatively thereto, and said tube has an internal diameter of a size to closely receive the stud 35 and frictionally hold same by virtue of the'outwardly biased tines 35a thereof, so that the heating element can be firmly supported at the rear of the igniting unit l0, and in true axial alignment therewith.

Thus there is provided by the present invention a frictionally mounted heating element 33 for the igniting unit H] which can be rapidly and easily removed, and yet which is securely held in true axial alignment and in firm position at the rear of the body 29. It is only necessary, in order to easily remove the element 33, to hold the body 29 in one hand and apply a prying tool underneath the edge of the metal cup 34 so as to force the element outward. Instead of a prying tool a key, or a button hook may be used, or the cup can be grasped directly with thefingers. If desired, pressure may be appliedto the end of the prong 35 by means of a matchstick, toothpick or the point of a refillable pencil until the heating element is ejected.

In connection with this latter operation, the body 29 of the igniting unit has a removable end closure 45 carried by a metal thimble 450. which is frictionally held within the sleeve 4|. The closure 45 and thimble may be readily removed by prying same out with a pointed implement such as a knife blade or a nail file, in order to gain access to the end of the prong 35.

The igniting unit I6 is normally held in inoperative position on the holder I, as shown in Fig. 1, by a dished ring 46 and a spring 41, both carried on the sleeve 4|. The spring 41 bears against the shoulder 42 and against the ring 46, and yieldingly urges these apart, the latter being retained on the sleeve 4| by integral fingers lanced outwardly from said sleeve. The ring 46 is adapted to engage the end of the sleeve I2 of the holder II, thereby forming a yieldable stop when the igniting unit I6 is slipped on said holder, and maintaining the heating element out of contact with the disk 26, and therefore in unenergized condition. The ring 46 and spring 41 also serve as an electrical connection between the grounded sleeve l2 and the sleeve 4|.

When it is desired to use the cigar lighter, the igniting unit In is depressed inwardly against the action of the spring 41 so that the cup 34 of the heating element engages the contact disk 26. The igniting unit is held in this position, and current is conducted through the wire 21, pin 2|, disk 26, cup 34, heating coil 36, prong 35, sleeve 44, sleeve 4|, ring 46, and thence through the sleeve |2,to the grounded circuit. Energization of the heating coil 36 as just outlined will cause it to become hot, or perhaps incandescent, when it is ready for use.

In the event that the heating coil is energized to become incandescent, light from this incandescence, may be used to apprise a user of the readiness of the unit, and for this purpose the end closure 45 is made of an illuminable or translucent material to constitute a lens, the end 43 of the sleeve 4| is apertured, and the bottom 34b of the cup 34 is also apertured as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Thus light from the heating coil 36 will strike the lens member 45 and illuminate same. Of course, the apertures in the bottom of the cup 34 must be properly aligned with the apertures of the end 43 of the sleeve 4 In orderto provide for proper alignment of the apertures of the cup and sleeve so that light from the heating coil may pass therethrough there is provided by the present invention a positioning means associated with the cup 34 in a predetermined relation thereto, and in the embodiment shown this means comprises a washer 48. carried by the prong 35 and firmly attached thereto,said

washer having a plurality of rearwardly extending wings 49 adapted to enter the apertures of the end 43 of the sleeve 4|. The wings 49 by reason of their engagement with the sides of the apertures of the sleeve 4|, prevent relative turning between the heating element 33 and the igniting unit l6, and said wings are so disposed that, when extending into said apertures, they correctly position the heating element so that the apertures of the cup 34 are in proper alignment to permit light to pass through to the lens 45.

Thus the heating element is positioned on the igniting unit It! in a simple and positive manner, and in manner such that an inexperienced person can correctly replace the heating element on the igniting unit without difficulty. 7

The means for positioning the heating element relatively to the igniting unit also serves an additional useful purpose. At times the contacting surfaces of the cup 34 and the disk 26 may become dirty so as to impair the electrical connection between these surfaces. In such event, it is merely necessary to depress the igniting unit I!) and turn said unit so depressing it, in order to clean these contacting surfaces, since turning of the igniting unit will result in turning of the cup 34 so as to scrape against the contact disk 25.

It will be noted that the prong 35 for supporting the heating element is centrally located relatively to the cup 34 and positioning means 48 and 49, these being symmetrically disposed relative to the prong 35, and this arrangement provides for extremely simple and mistake-proof replacement of a heating element on the igniting unit. Also, effective electrical connection is maintained between the prong 35 and the supporting structure of the igniting unit because of the relatively large surface of said prong and the firm engagement thereof with the sleeve 44. The heating element is also firmly held in aligned position because of the elongate nature of the prong 35, and this is important in providing for uniform and well distributed contact between the cup 34 and the disk 26 when the igniting unit is depressed on the holder.

.Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of this invention and portions of the improvements may be used Without others.

I claim:

1. In a device of the type described, a heating member adapted to be frictionally mounted on an igniting unit comprising a contacting cup; a pin projecting rearwardly through said cup and insulated therefrom; guide means including a transversely extending member mounted on said pin having rearwardly extending guide members thereon, said guide members being in spaced parallel relation with said pin; and a heating coil disposed in said cup.

2. A cigar lighter heating element to be mounted on an igniting unit comprising a cup having electrical contacting means on the outer surface thereof; electrical heating means disposed in said cup; a mounting pin having an end secured to the heating means and passing through the bottom wall of said cup; and a plate carried by the pin,

said plate lying substantially parallel to the bottom wall of said cup and having lugs projecting laterally thereof and away from said cup, said lugs interlocking with means on the igniting unit to prevent rotation of the heating element when mounted in a predetermined position on the igniting unit.

3. In a device of the type described, a heating member adapted to be frictionally mounted on an igniting unit comprising a contacting cup; a mounting pin projecting rearwardly from said cup; a washer having rearwardly extending guide means mounted on said pin, said means extending substantially parallel to but spaced from said pin; and a heating coil disposed in said cup with one end secured to the front of said pin and having the other end in electric contact with the cup.

4. In a device of the type described, a heating member adapted to be frictionally mounted on an igniting unit provided with light passages comprising a contact cup having light apertures formed in a wall thereof; a pin projecting rearwardly through the wall of said cup but insulated therefrom; guide means including a transversely extending member mounted on said pin having rearwardly extending guide members thereon, said guide members being in spaced parallel relation with said pin and adapted to engage means on the igniting unit to locate the cup. in a predetermined position on said unit and to align the apertures of said cup with the light passages of the unit; and a heating coil disposed in said cup.

5. In a device of the type described, a heating member adapted to be frictionally mounted on an igniting unit comprising a contacting cup; a pin projecting rearwardly through said cup but insulated therefrom; a washer mounted on said pin adjacent said cup and lying substantially parallel to the bottom wall thereof, said washer having laterally extending guiding and positioning lugs projecting rearwardly away from said cup; and a heating coil disposed in said cup, said cup having spaced apertures through which light emanating from the heating coil may pass when the heating member is positioned on the igniting unit by said lugs.

GUSTAVE F. BAHR. 

